Rivalry
by sherina
Summary: Snape is both horrified and disgusted when he realizes he was once again passed over for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, especially when he realizes that his new rival is an old student that he never liked in the first place.
1. Passed over

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Disclaimer:  I don't own any of these characters or I would be much more financially secure.  All I own is the story that JK Rowling inspired in me.  Constructive criticism and reviews always welcome.

Severus Snape scowled as he walked briskly towards the Great Hall.  Tonight was the Sorting Hat ceremony with the brand new first year students – a load of worthless gits more likely than not, just like every year.

Another year of having high hopes for Slytherin only to realize that the intelligence level was not up to par with the way things used to be.  Another year of dealing with the idiots from the other houses.  Another year of seeing Slytherin fail miserably in Quidditch, as they had done consistently for almost a decade straight.  Another year of wondering why in the hell Dumbledore had hired yet another bloody Defense Against the Dark Arts professor when surely he knew quite well that Snape was the best suited for the job. 

"How many other ruddy Death Eaters spy on the Dark Lord, report back in the name of good, and then come to teach at a school full of foolish wizards who would never amount to anything useful anyway?" Snape muttered to himself as he headed for the door.  "How many other professors can teach _exactly_ what these students need to know?  I know precisely how the Dark Lord works, and yet time and again he shoots me down."

He pushed the door open and surveyed the bedlam of friends talking animatedly, insults being shouted from one house table to the next, and nervous first year students wondering what they had gotten themselves into.

"I don't even know why I bother anymore," he said aloud, startling a few people as he made his way towards the head table, frowning at the empty spot next to his seat.  He still hadn't been informed of the newly appointed professor and was irritated to see his newest colleague hadn't even bothered to show up yet.  He wondered whether he would know of this person, this wizard who was apparently better suited to teach the ways of defense.

"Good evening, Severus!"  Snape turned his head and forced himself to offer at least a half-smile to Albus Dumbledore, who was beaming brightly at him.

"Headmaster," he replied.

"It's a glorious evening, isn't it Severus?" Dumbledore asked, sweeping his hand in the general direction of the noise.  "Another year of new minds to be shaped by Hogwarts!"

Snape grimaced as he sat down.  "Yes…  New minds."

_Oh _yes, Snape thought as he twirled his fork idly in one hand.  _New minds which will never learn to appreciate potions, who will think it nifty to turn match boxes into mice, and who will learn nothing more than parlor tricks under the pretense that they are learning to defend themselves against dark magic.  I can hardly wait._

Dumbledore stood and waved his arm about.  "Silence, if you please," he called over the laughter in the hall.  Everyone settled down and looked expectantly at the headmaster of Hogwarts.  His eyes seemed to twinkle just like the stars above on the enchanted ceiling.  He appeared to be bursting to share something.

"Good evening, and welcome – or welcome back – to Hogwarts.  It is just as wonderful as always to see so many returning faces," he said.  He turned to the new students who were congregated to his left and added, "And of course, it is equally wonderful to see so many new and eager ones."

As the applause died down, Dumbledore continued with his speech.  "I only have a handful of announcements to make tonight before we get started on the feast.  For the benefit of the first year students who don't yet know, and as a reminder to the rest of you who _forget_, there is no magic in the corridors between classes, the Forbidden Forest is named as such because it is indeed forbidden to all students, and only third year students and up with signed permission forms may leave the grounds for organized trips."

Flexing his fingertips, Dumbledore smiled.  "On a more cheerful note, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."  He waited patiently for the whispers to die down; after all, the students were used to this particular announcement since there was a new professor teaching that particular subject just about every year.

"I am most pleased to tell you that our newest professor has had a fair amount of experience in warding off Dark Magic and possesses an incredible combination of talent, intelligence, quick thinking, and sheer courage.  I am sure you will learn a great deal this year."

Snape sneered into his goblet.  Another new hopeful professor who would turn tail and run when things got serious.  This new wizard was likely thinking that a few flicks of the wand and some impressive parlor tricks would be enough to get by.  It would certainly endear the students to their new professor but as soon as something occurred that actually required a backbone and some true skill, they would be looking once again for a replacement while he sat quietly seething in his potions classroom, teaching inept students the proper amount of hellebore is to be used in the Draught of bloody Peace.

"And so," Dumbledore continued, "kindly welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor…"

A young witch in her early twenties walked into the room.  Snape looked up and choked as he took in her long brown hair, dark brown eyes, and her smug know-it-all expression.  _No_, he thought desperately.  _No, no, no_.  Dumbledore's voice drowned out the pleas in his mind.

"Kindly welcome Professor Granger!"


	2. Snarky Encounter

Diclaimer:  I do not own any of these characters, I only own the story that JK Rowling inspired in me.  Constructive criticism and reviews always welcome

**Chapter 2**

Two weeks later, Snape was still in the foulest mood that any of his students could ever remember.  He was snapping at everyone for any reason and no reason at all.  He was even yelling at Slytherin students and had deducted a whopping fifty points from his own house just because Marty Goodfellow had mistakenly used two unicorn hairs in his potion rather just one.  Everyone, including most of the other teachers, had taken to going out of their way to avoid Snape at all costs, going near him only if it was absolutely imperative to do so; even then speaking to him almost always ended badly.

No one knew for sure why he was in such a constant rage but people had started to make their guesses.  Considering Snape became so infuriated every time he looked at Hermione Granger that he all but smoked at the temples, whispers around the castle grounds gossiped that his cranky state was due to her presence.  Everyone began to assume that he was simply resentful once again that he had not been chosen as the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts.  It was a well known fact that he longed to teach it and he never hesitated to make snide comments about whoever held the position from one year to the next.  Strangely, he had not yet uttered a word about Professor Granger but he had been seen to grow pale at the mere mention of her name and had given two Slytherins and one Ravenclaw detention for discussing her class during Snape's Potions lab.

People were only partly right though.  Of course Snape was disgusted that he had been denied the position again.  He didn't know what drove him to continuously apply every time there was an opening but he did hope that one year Dumbledore would change his mind, so not landing the position had angered him greatly.  It was so much more than that though.  So very much more.

_Hermione bloody Granger_, Snape thought for possibly the millionth time as he headed to the teacher's common room one Friday afternoon.  _Is it not insult enough that no one can see that I am meant to teach that class?  Hermione Granger!  That…  That…_

"That Mudblood," he spat as he pushed the door open.  "It's disgusting."

He paced in front of the fireplace, restless with anger.  He tried to calm himself down by mentally listing the ingredients in his private stores.  Usually the concentration of this exercise helped him to relax but he couldn't stop seeing her face on that first night in the Great Hall when she had glanced at him with one raised eyebrow, the smug little bitch.  She had greeted him with a cool voice and it had taken all his efforts to resist the urge to slap the smirk right off her face.

"I would really like you to stop," a voice suddenly said. 

Startled, Snape spun around and reached for his wand.  Once he saw who it was, he had to resist the urge to grab his wand anyway.  Angry that she had frightened him, he sneered and asked, "Stop what, Miss Granger?"

"Professor," she replied.

"I beg your pardon?" Snape retorted.

"Not Miss Granger.  Professor Granger.  Or have you forgotten?"  Hermione never would have antagonized him when she was his student out of respect and more significantly, fear.  However, now she considered herself his equal even if he did have years of experience over her.  She supposed that at the young age of 22 she should probably still make some attempts at showing him a little respect but she figured he had never bothered to try all those times that he had made snide remarks when she was in his Potions class.

"Oh no, _Hermione_, trust me when I say that I would be hard pressed to forget your…"  Snape seethed for a moment before continuing, "your position."

Hermione smiled but clenched her hands into tense fists.  "Well _Severus_, I'm glad that you're comfortable enough to be on a first name basis."  She smiled a little wider as she saw the anger flashing in his eyes at the use of his given name.  "And what I would like you to stop is the glaring.  I'm getting rather fed up of turning around to see you glowering at me every second of the day."

Snape began to open his mouth to snap at her but she carried on without giving him the opportunity.  "I'm truly sorry if Dumbledore has ignored your request to take over my class yet again, but frankly it's not my fault nor is it my concern.  Regardless of your feelings about that, I'm still your colleague and I think it would be best if you deal with it.  It's not good for the students to see so much blatant disregard for me.  As teachers here we should present a slightly more united front, don't you think?"

Snape closed his eyes against the sea of red that was swimming in front of his vision and willed himself to breathe.  _Don't strangle her, don't strangle her, don't strangle her_, he kept repeating in his mind.

"Oh Miss Gr- Hermione.  Perhaps you expect that I shall throw you a party in honor of your appointment to Professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts.  Be happy that glaring is all I do."

Without another word, he swept out of the common room and headed for the dungeons, muttering unspeakable things to himself as he went.  Hermione rolled her eyes and sat on the couch.  She really was enjoying her new job.

She looked at the fire with a smile on her face.  Then rather abruptly, her grin started to fade.  She really didn't want to constantly be at odds with Snape.  For one thing, it was stressful to be the source of so much of someone's anger, bitterness, and resentment.  For another, despite his obvious dislike of her in the past and his cruelty to his students, Hermione had always admired him.  He may not have been the kindest teacher she had ever had, but he was undeniably intelligent, meticulous, and a hard worker.  All three traits were qualities that Hermione had always valued both in herself and in others.  If she was to be perfectly honest, he was the best potions master she had ever heard of in at least a century.

Twirling her hair idly in her fingers as she watched the flames flicker and cast shadows on the stone walls of the common room, Hermione wondered if perhaps the game of taunting each other had gone on long enough and if it was now time to attempt a peace treaty.  She decided that indeed it was, but the real question was not "if" but rather "how".  How on earth would she convince Snape that it was time to bury the hatchet?


End file.
